Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
Tsukudajima from Eitai Bridge
From the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), 1857
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Gift of James A. Michener, 1991
(05020)

In 1644, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542–1616), the first shogun of Japan, summoned fishermen from Tsukuda Village, Settsu Province (modern-day Osaka City) and ordered them to supply food for Edo’s ever-growing population. To house them, the shogun further ordered the construction of an artificial island named Tsukudajima (literally, "Tsukuda Island") at the mouth of the Sumida River. In this print, Tsukudajima can be seen off in the distance, beyond rows of anchored cargo boats.

View info on museum database (enabled through support by the Robert F. Lange Foundation)